How Efficient Are Pool Workouts in Helping You Lose Weight?

Pool workouts are some of the best workouts a person can commit to when trying to strengthen the core, build stamina and work on cardiovascular or muscular strength. Pool workouts offer a free-flowing environment in which a person can concentrate on each individual movement of the body with natural resistance. When it comes to losing weight, pool workouts offer a great alternative to other cardio exercises, both in effectiveness and enjoyment.

Calorie Burning

In order to lose weight, a person needs to burn more calories than he or she is consuming. Pool workouts provide an excellent platform to burn calories because, unlike other workout spaces, every movement is met with resistance from the water. A 150-pound person can burn upwards of 500 calories per hour from jogging in water, and closer to 700 from treading water in place. Performing pool workouts can burn more calories per exercise than some of the same exercises on land.

Well-Rounded Fitness

Pool workouts don't only promote weight loss by burning calories, but they also help tone the body and thin fat content. Pool workouts require balance, stamina and strength in more than just the core, legs and arms. The same exercises a person may perform in the gym require more effort in a pool and utilize more muscles at one time. This results in a more toned body altogether, less fat and less weight.

A Good Cardio Workout

Some people uphold the misconception that pool workouts are strictly for building muscle or toning the body, but they are also great cardiovascular workouts. Performing any workout exercise in a pool requires great stamina and breathing control. Cardiovascular exercise is great for losing weight because it kick-starts your body into working overtime, to keep your breathing and body temperature in check.

Incorporating pool workouts into any workout schedule can make a difference in how quickly a person loses weight.